Cherry plum

Prunus cerasifera

Rosaceae

Edible Uses

Fruit

It can be eaten raw or cooked as a jam or syrup. It gets more sour by cooking, so a lot of sugar or sweeteners (xylitol, eritrol) must be added to compensate for this. The sour taste can be taken advantage when prepared without sugar, as a chutney. In this form, it can be consumed with meat.

Seeds taste bitter, similar to almond, because of the hydrogen cyanide content. It is recommended to consume only in small amounts.

Medicinal Uses

Fruit

The fruit can be used as a mild laxative, consumed raw or prepared as a syrup or jam.

Main Characteristics

He is a 5-7 m tall deciduous shrub or small tree. The young trunk is even, later it gets scaly or chapped. Leaves are ovate or obovate, with a peak at the top. The flowers are white, 5-petaled. The fruit is red or yellow, round and juicy, slightly larger than a cherry, which are not free-stone.

Habitats

Along the road side

Mesic deciduous forest

Harvesting aid

Fruit

August, October, September

The cherry plum tree often bears lots of fruit. The ripe fruit can easily be shaken from the tree. The gathered fruit spoils quickly, so the processing need to be done on the same day or the next day. In the fridge, you can keem them a little bit longer.

August, October, September

The stones are similar to the cherry stones. They can be dried and broken with a hammer to access the almond, that can be used for edible purposes.

Confusion with other plants

During the flowering period, it can be confused with other plum species (Prunus spp.) such as the sloe (Prunus spinoza) or the garden plum (Prunus domestica).

Prunus domestica

Garden plum

It can be confused with some variety of the garden plum (Prunus domestica). These are – contrary to cherry plum - freestone, and they are less sour. Both of these species are edible.

Description

Size: 5 m - 7 m

Bloom time: April,
March,

Alternative common name(s):

Myrobalan plum

Flower

Inflorescence type: Solitary

Flower Colour: White

Flower shape: 5 petaled

Stem

Trunk pattern: even

Trunk Colour: Grayish-brown

Leaf

Foliage type: Alternate

Foliage texture: Smooth

Leaf shape: Ovate

Leaf margin: Serrate

Leaf type: Simple

Fruit

Fruit Category: Fruit

Fruit type: Drupe

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